Mysterious Walker

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

I refuse to root for the team of my childhood and adulthood, the Yankees. The reason is simple. I can't cheer for a team that has Alex Rodriguez on the roster. He has become my all-time least favorite player. I can't stomach that cheating piece of garbage sullying the once-proud pinstripe uniform.
Obviously I'll never root for the Red Sox. So I'd like to see the Rays overtake the Bostons in the AL East.
My favorite National League team is the Rockies. They are harmless to root for. They don't play the Yankees except for rare interleague matchups. I like their manager Walt Weiss, who I played high school and summer league ball against.
Quick funny story...I was talking to Walt earlier this year and I brought up the Suffern Stars, a summer league team Walt played on. Having a big mouth, I said, "What I remember most about your team was the hideous all blue uniforms you guys wore." Walt laughed and replied, "My dad designed those uniforms!"
Anyway, I pull for the Rockies. Despite a bunch of buffoons running the front office, I find the Rockies to be a great bunch of guys to cover. So that is another reason why the Rockies are my favorite NL team.
However, since the Rocks are going nowhere this season, despite teasing us with a decent start, I have to pick a team to root for that has a chance to win the World Series.
So my new team, on a temporary basis is...The Los Angeles Dodgers!
The reason is simply for Donnie Baseball. Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly, one of my favorite Yankees of all time, has never been to the World Series. Not as a player. Not as a coach and not as a manager. I hope he has that opportunity this season.
Also, a couple of seasons ago, in the Coors Field dugout, I had a chance to talk to Mattingly. Nobody was around and we had a nice five minute chat. I told him I enjoyed watching him play for the Yankees and he said, "Thank you, I appreciate that."
Mattingly is a gentleman, a great Yankee and is turning out to be a pretty good manager with the Dodgers.
So that is why I am pulling for the Dodgers.
There is also precedent for me rooting for the Dodgers. I've jumped on their bandwagon before.
In 1988, I rooted for the Dodgers against the Mets in the NLCS. I was so appreciative that they beat the Mets that I felt compelled to cheer for them in the World Series, even though I normally pull for the American League team to win. So I did root for LA and they beat the heavily favored Athletics in five games.
Go Dodgers!!! My Dodgers.

In the previous post I talked about Vin Scully who will return next season for his 65th year of broadcasting Dodgers baseball. Vin is 85 and still sharp as can be.
If you recall Tigers legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell, you know that he was still great into his 90's calling games.
There are a lot of older baseball broadcasters still doing a fine job.
Here is my theory.
The brain is a muscle and in order to keep any muscle in good working condition you need to use it. If you don't exercise your legs they become weak. If you sit on your butt all day at a computer and don't exercise your muscles will get fat and atrophy will set in, slowly but surely.
The same with a brain. If you dont' use it, it gets stale. If older people don't use their brains they turn to mush sooner than a younger person who doesn't use their brains.
A baseball broadcaster, like Scully or Harwall, have, or had, longevity because of the nature of the sport they announce.
In baseball, an announcer spends a lot of time at the ballpark doing interivews, pouring over stats, reading commericial copy, talking to players, coaches, managers, media people, stadium workers, fans and that is all just before the game. Then comes the broadcast, the post-game stuff and everything in between.
Since baseball is played every day for months and months, the brain is constantly working.
Compare that to guys who work all their lives, perhaps in a mundane occupation, then they retire at 65, have nothing to do and basically get dementia shortly after. They aren't exercising their bodies or their brains.
That is why when people retire they need something to get them out of bed everyday. Something that keeps the body sound and the mind working. If you just sit at home waiting to die, you'll have that happen sooner than later.
Anyway, just a theory but I bet you agree. Am I right? Also, I want the government to give me a million dollar grant to further study this theory.

What an amazing guy Vin Scully is.
I would like to say "Thank You" to Vin for his announcement that he is coming back next season to announce Dodgers games.
He's started calling Dodgers games in BROOKLYN...IN 1950!!!
I am guessing that he has seen more Major League baseball games in person than anybody. Has he had the greatest broadcasting career of anybody ever?
All I can say is the guy was, is and always will be remarkable. And from a selfish point of view I hope he never leaves.

The Yankees were leading the Blue Jays 6-0 tonight in Toronto. In the 7th inning, future Hall of Shamer Alex Rodriguez at the plate. I immediately thought, "here comes a homer." Sure enough, that piece of shit A-Fraud belts a home run to deep centerfield. Bravo.
Of course if it was a one run game, Mr. Choke artist would have struck out or popped up. But in a 6-0 game? No pressure. I hate that guy.
If George Steinbrenner were alive today he wouldn't let that bum wear a Yankees uniform. He would have fought paying him and if he had to pay him he would have given him every cent on his contract and then told him to get lost.
That is why I can't root for the Yankees. The team I have pulled for my entire life, I cannot in good conscience pull for. Of course I pull for Jeter and Mariano, but I can't root for the team to win like I used to. All because of that cheating bum A-Fraud. When he is gone for good, I'll come back to the Yanks. Until then my mantra will be, "Anybody but the Red Sox!"

Howdy again.
As the Rolling Stones sang, "Please allow me to introduce myself..."
Sorry for the long delay between posts but I've been having issues logging on to update this blog. Frustrated, I bagged it for a few weeks.
After several e-mails with a technical guy, I've finally got a new password and am able to update.
So, sorry but I'm back.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Hope you enjoy my commentary of the All Star game. Whatever popped into my head I wrote down. Enjoy.

Running All Star Game Thoughts...
6:17 Tom Seaver throws out the first pitch. The only Met I didn't mind when I was growing up. Loved when he lost 1-0 games. My dad took me to a car dealership one time to get Seaver's autograph. I still have it somewhere. I remember saying to Seaver..."ughhhh, ummmm, errrrrrrr, ahhhhh. Thank you."
6:19 Alright American League, let's win a ballgame!
6:20 Mike Trout rips first pitch down the right field line for a double. Trout is the early favorite to win game MVP.
6:22 Oh freaking no! Robinson Cano drilled on the right knee by Matt Harvey fastball. Freaking "ouch." A Met trying to take out a Yank. Damn, as if the Yanks don't have enough injury issues. At least he's staying in the game for now.
6:24 I can't stand Miguel Cabrera but I'd like to see him line one off the knee of Harvey with the ball ricocheting into the left field corner.
6:26 Harvey's bright orange shoes are ugly and distracting. Cabrera just whiffed. The one time I pull for the guy he strikes out. When I root against him he hits balls over the fence. Crapballs, Cano is coming out of the game. Damn. Freaking Harvey. Little Dusty Big Stick Pedroia runs for Cano.
6:30 Harvey gets out of jam, striking out Jose Bautista. Bottom 1, no score.
6:31 I just thought back to the first All Star game I saw from New York. 1977, in Yankee Stadium, my dad and I sat down to watch the game and.....the color TV blew out. We watched the game on a black and white TV that got poor reception. Game stunk too. NL blowout win. This was before the days when families had 7 big screen color TV's. And them's the poor folk.
6:33 Max Scherzer, the guy with different colored eyes, is also wearing ugly, glow in the dark orange spikes. What's going on with the shoes of both starters? He got Phillips to fly out.
6:34 You know what's crazy? The Pirates have 5 All Stars and the Yankees have 2.
6:35 I'm hungry. Where's Gwyn with my eats?
6:36 They are showing a nice, high shot of Citi Field. Looks like a nice ballyard. However, I still miss the Mets playing in Shea Stadium. Shea was a dump and that's what the Mets deserve to play in. I still think of the Mets playing in Shea. Weird to see them in Citi Field.
6:37 Take a seat Votto. Joey caught looking on an unhittable fastball, knee high on the outside corner. 1-2-3 inning for Scherzer. Typing that I just thought of Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls. Why? I have no idea. After one inning, no score.
6:40 Big Poopy is at the plate. I can't root for David Ortiz. Just can't. I can root though for Jose Ortiz. Who the hell is Jose Ortiz? He's my teammate on my old guy's baseball team.
6:41 Harvey gets Ortiz to fly out to Harper in center. Now Erin Andrews is interviewing Seaver. Tom Terrific is aging well. Erin has a big nose.
6:44 Harvey just blew away Adam "Not Pacman" Jones. 98 mph heat. Yikes!
6:45 Joe Mauer is batting 8th. First time ever for that I would assume. Fly out to left. After 1 1/2 innings of play, no score.
6:46 Just got a text from my friend Debra Jerome. Wanted to know when Kelley & Company will be on the air again. Texted back, 'looks like Thursday'. We should be on 1-4 p.m., our new time slot. Figured with a commercial on the TV, I might as well plug the show. By the way, Steve is the marquee name (Jason Marquis?) of course, but I'm the entire company. Kelley & Company sounds more impressive than Kelley & Rogan.
6:49 Harvey getting congrats in the dugout. Looks like he's done which makes J.J. Hardy happy since he'll lead off the top of the third.
6:49 Mets 3B David Wright grounds out. Good, even though I kind of like him a little. Too bad he's a Met.
6:50 Cargo at the dish. Strange, I'm rooting for the American League but I'm pulling for the three Rockies players in the lineup...Gonzalez, Tulo and Cuddyer.
6:51 Cargo whiffs against White Sox lefty Chris Sale. The pitch was just off the plate...by about 4 feet. Whachoo swinging at Carlos?
6:52 Notice that Jim Leyland took his starter and Tigers pitcher Scherzer out of the game after one inning.
6:53 Yadier Molina flys out. 3 up, 3 down for the National League. After 2, still zippo on the scoreboard.
6:54 Yay, Gwyn is home. Dinner time soon. Hopefully. Unless I tick her off by yelling, "Make me a sammitch!"
6:55 Just yelled down to her from my sports loft..."Make me a sammitch!" Her response, "Make it yourself." She'll make me something...grudgingly. Need something light though. I'm busy.
6:57 Clayton Kershaw in the game for the NL. Best pitcher in baseball? I would say "Yesssss." Said like Marv Albert would say it.
6:58 Larry King once said, "The Dodgers home uniforms look whiter than anybody elses white uniforms." I agree. The Dodgers have some sweet unis. Second best in the game. After the Yanks of course. Hardy just flew out.
6:59 Trout flies out. Hey, that rhymes.
7:00 Laser show at the plate. Pedroia's best soundbite ever, "laser show." I hate the Red Sox so I should hate Little Dusty. But I can't hate this guy. What a gamer. Great ballplayer and plays the game the way it should be played.
7:01 Pedroia's bat is bigger than he is. Dusty flies out. After 2 1/2, no score.
7:02 Since it's another commercial, here's a promo from me. www.turfsports.net
7:03 Come on Gwyn, hurry up. I'm hungry. I won't yell that to her though. That will only slow down an already slow process.
7:05 When I see American League manager Jim Leyland on the tube, I think back to the one year he was the manager of the Rockies in 1999. He did a crappy job, leading the Rocks to a last place finish, then he quit. It was my first year covering the Rockies and what I remember most about Leyland...he was a complete douche to deal with.
7:06 Tulo at the bat. Tulo emulates Cargo with a whiff. Sale is tough. No discounts so far from Sale. That was bad.
7:07 Cuddyer at the plate. If he strikes out it will be a Colorado strikeout hat trick.
7:08 Eight up and eight down for the NL as the Cuddyman grounds out to the pitcher. At least he didn't strike out.
7:08 Ken Rosenthal and his stupid bow tie, interviewing Cano. Robby says he'll be ready to go on Friday. Rosenthal, "How disappointed were you to come out?" Stupid question. Rosenthal always annoys me for some reason.
7:10 Harper lines out to Cabrera. Smoked it. But the NL still doesn't have a baserunner. No score heading to the 4th.
7:11 Gwyn delivers! A nice, juicy, grilled hamburger and some vitimin water. And of course she had to pass gas on her way out of the room. So classy!
7:14 Lefty Patrick Corban of the Diamondbacks in the game. He's a Rockies killer.
7:15 Something is missing from this All Star game. I know, Derek Jeter.
7:15 Cabrera takes Corbin into the right center gap for a double.
7:16 Davis up. I predict a home run to left.
7:18 Davis lines a single to right off Votto's glove. Wasn't a homer but I'll take it. AL in bidness with Joey Bats up.
7:19 Bautista delivers a sac fly. AL takes a 1-0 lead. Cabrera jumps into the game MVP discussion. Although who the hell is discussing that now besides me.
7:20 Tim McCarver is retiring after this season. I know a lot of people don't like listening to McCarver but I'm not one of them. I've always liked McCarvers broadcasts.
7:20 Big poopy hits into a 6-3 double play. 1-0 AL heading into the bottom of the 4th. Time to resume eating my burger.
7:24 King Felix now pitching for the AL. When I see Hernandez pitch I think two things. Man is this guy something. And what is the deal with the hideous neck tattoo.
7:25 10 up and 10 down for the NL as the King gets Phillips to ground out.
7:25 By the way, all times posted here Mountain time zone.
7:26 The perfecto is over. Beltron an opposite single to left. And Beltron is done...Andrew McCutchen pinch runs for him. Like to see Mauer gun him down. Excuse me, throw him out. Need to stay politically correct.
7:27 Damn, McCutchen stole second. Thought Mauer had him initially. But the slow mo replay shows Andy was safe. Yes, I'm the first person to call Andrew McCutchen 'Andy.'
7:28 McCutchen over to third on a groundout by Votto and now Wright up to the plate. Nice time for a strikeout.
7:30 Everytime they show a Mets fan in the crowd I think, "man, what an ugly human." Are there any good looking Mets fans? I don't think so.
7:31 Wright grounds out on a slow roller to third. Nice play by Miggy. Did I just type Miggy. OK, I'm glad Cabrera made the play even though I don't like him. But for one night, I'll suspend that feeling.
After 4, 1-zip American League.
7:34 Just got off the phone with The Fish, Rick Fisher, the player-manager of my old guy's team the Grizzlies. I asked him, "If Matt Harvey pitched a game in our league (over 35), how many strikeouts would he have." Fish said, without hesitation, "27...unless I came up to bat."
7:35 Cliff Lee now pitching for the National League.
7:36 Forgot to mention, the crowd gave Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson, a coach for the NL a nice hand before the game. They remember him managing the 86 Mets to a World Series title. You do well in NY, they don't forget.
7:37 Adam Jones a lead off double. AL in bidness again.
7:37 Trivia Question...Has Jim Leyland ever smiled? I'm talking about in his entire life.
7:37 Trivia Answer...No.
7:38 Mauer gets a ground single off the glove of Tulo. 1st and 3rd, none out. Ya ya!
7:39 Tulo is wearing eye black patches. Are they really necessary for a night game? Just wondering. Actually, I don't think they do anything at all, even in day games, other than players like the look.
7:40 J.J. Hardy at the bat. Quick, what does J.J. stand for? James Jerry. I don't know why I know that. Just like I know that the CC for CC Sabathia stands for Carsten Charles.
7:40 Hardy grounds in to a 4-6 force, Jones scores, 2-0 AL.
7:41 Trout at the plate. Did you know Trout and Bryce Harper were Arizona Fall League teammates a few years ago? And Trout grounds into a 6-4-3 DP. Phillips barehanded the feed from Tulo. Totally unnecessary. I bet he wouldn't do that in a regular season game or Dusty Baker would poke him in the eye with his toothpick. AL leads 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 5th.
7:46 Cargo up for the second time. This time facing another lefty, Matt Moore of the Rays. Result: 4-3 ground out.
7:47 Molina up to bat. Everytime I see Molina I think of another guy named Yadier. Actually, I don't think there is another Yadier on the planet. Yadier also has a stupid neck tattoo. Molina grounds out.
7:48 Tulowitzki at the plate...and Tulo pops out to second. After 5, the American League holds a 2-0 advantage.
7:49 I have to enjoy this game since there will be no baseball tomorrow. The day after the All Star game is probably the worst day of the year on the sports calendar.
7:50 Whiz time.
7:52 I'm back.
7:53 Joe Buck is announcing all the changes in the lineup. Keeping score for an All Star game is tougher than keeping score for a spring training game.
7:53 Jose Fernandez in the game to pitch from the Marlins. All two dozen Marlins fans pumped up. Fernandez K's Pedroia.
7:55 When I was a really young kid, the Yankees had a catcher named Frank Fernandez. I thought that was a cool name. I still think Fernandez is a cool name. If I was an hispanic guy I would want my name to be Fernandez. But I'd spell it with two z's....Fernandezz.
7:56 Cabrera fouls out.
7:57 Davis at the plate. Home run? I feel it.
7:58 Nope. Strikeout. AL 2 NL 0 going to the bottom of the 6th. Game is briskly moving along.
7:59 Commericial Time....visit the KNUS website at www.710knus.com.
7:59 I wonder if Andy Cornell is watching the game. I'll call him at the next break to see if he is. He should be. Afterall, baseball is the only sport with a watchable All Star game. Unless you are talking about the WNBA All Star game. (Do they have one?)
8:00 The just showed NYC Mayor Bloomberg on TV. Too bad he wasn't guzzling down a big gulp. Also showed fatass NJ Governor Chris Christie and former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani. Gotta love Rudy...he's a Yankees fan. I bet all three got free tickets by the way. Politicians are bums.
8:02 Grant Balfour of the Athletics in to pitch.
8:03 Balfour issues ball four to Cuddyer. Balfour is a bad name for a pitcher. Harper up to the plate.
8:04 Harper pops out to short. Phew.
8:04 Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals pinch hitting for Phillips.
8:05 Sudden thought: Worst All Star ever? How about pitcher Lance Carter? He was the "we have to take a player from every team even the sucky Devil Rays" back in 2003. Just looked up his lifetime record. 13-12, 4.15 ERA, 29 saves in 6 seasons.
8:06 Carpenter flies out to center and now Andy McCutchen at the plate. I don't know how he can wear dreadlocks and not have it be a distraction. Just speculation since I've never worn dreads.
8:09 Andy strikes out. I'm gonna call the other Andy now. After 6, 2-0 Americans.
8:10 No answer from Cornell. He must be engrossed in the game. Seriously, I doubt he's watching the game....but I want to know what he could be doing besides watching. Probably looking at high school football game film for his Englewood Pirates. I told Andy last year that they need to play meaner so they should drop the P from their nickname and go by the Irates. Go out there and play irate!
8:13 Aroldis Chapman of the Reds on the mound. I'm guessing he's not a comfortable at bat as he gasses it at 100+. Nelson Cruz at the plate.
8:14 Cruz walks on 4 pitches. Batting for Big Poopy is one of the most underrated players in the game, Edwin Encarnacion.
8:17 EE just hit into a 6-4-3 DP. He swung at ball four on a 3-1 pitch. Jones at the plate.
8:18 Jones goes down swinging. That was quick. Going to the bottom of the 7th, 2-0 American League and the NL has just one hit, Beltron's single in the 4th.
8:20 Jennifer Lopez' ex-husband is singing 'God Bless America' for the 7th inning. Love that song and everything it stands for. Good job singing it by Marc Anthony, although he looked to be in pain singing it. (he was emoting BR)
8:24 Probably the most popular player of this generation, Greg Holland of the Royals, is pitching for the American League.
8:25 Holy crap. Manny Machado of the Orioles just made a dandy of a play deep at third and threw out the Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt. Wow, what a play! Machado is just 21 years old. I think he has a future. Brooks Robinson anybody?
8:26 Well, the NL just got their second hit. David Wright a bullet liner to left. Dang. Or as Bobby Bowden would say, "dadgummit."
8:27 Greg Holland's night is over. Brett Cecil of the Jays coming in to pitch. Remember Al Holland? He was pretty good lefty reliever (except with the Yanks when he stunk it up) who played in an All Star game.
8:30 Cecil got Domonic Brown of the Phillies on a strikeout and now coming into pitch...Steve Delabar of the Blue Jays. Leyland wants to get some guys some action. No beefs here.
8:33 Buster Posey at the plate. This is dangerous for the AL. Dodged a bullet as Delabar fans Posey. 2-0 AL, going to the 8th.
8:35 Coach Cornell called me back a few moments ago. He's on vacation in the mountains. Is he watching the game? His words, "No, I forgot it was on. Why would I watch that crap? The only thing worse than watching baseball is watching meaningless baseball." Actually, it's not meaningless since it determines home field advantage in the World Series. I hate that though. What they should do is the league that has the better record in interleague play gets home field advantage in the fall classic.
8:36 I hate the commerical where the two kids at summer camp exchange gifts and the boy says to the girl, "see you next summer," as he goes towards his family's car. In real life the kid would have said to the girl, "see you next summer...maybe you can give me a handy then."
8:38 Salvador Perez of the Royals singles off flamethrowing Craig Kimbrel of the Braves.
8:39 Jhonny Peralta up for the AL. Mariano Rivera warming up for the AL. He will probably pitch the 8th because if the NL took the lead in the bottom of the 8th there might not be a bottom of the 9th for Mo to pitch. So, it would be nice if the AL scored some runs here to allow Mo to close the game out.
8:41 Peralta a baseknock. Runners on first and second no outs and Torii Hunter up to bat for Trout. Torii Hunter's kid by the way a freshman wide receiver for Notre Dame although he's trying to recover from a broken femur. Ow.
8:42 Kimbrel looks like he's preparing for takeoff when he looks in for the sign.
8:43 Hunter just hit into a 6-3 double play. Thanks for nothing Hunter.
8:44 Jason Kipnis, the underrated Indians second baseman at the plate. Come on Kippy, a single brings in another run.
8:45 Yay Kipnis! Double over the head of Brown in left. 3-0 American League. Now they can hold Rivera to finish in the 9th hopefully.
8:45 They showed Neil Diamond in the crowd, near the field. He will be singing 'Sweet Caroline' after this half inning. Why? I hate that song by the way. Used to like it until it was highjacked by the Red Sox. One sign I knew I was getting older? Years ago I heard a Neil Diamond song on the radio...and I liked it.
8:47 Machado struck out. 3-0 going to the bottom of the 8th. Time for Diamond to sing...then Mariano. I hope they play 'Enter Sandman' when Mariano comes into the game.
8:48 Neil Diamond is singing on a diamond. How about that? He's a New Yorker by the way.
8:49 Why do people go apeshit when they see themselves on the stadium video board?
8:50 This is awful. Get off the field Neil.
8:50 Yankees fan spotted in the crowd with his arms folded, not singing along. Good for him. I like that guy.
8:51 I hear 'Enter Sandman' and here comes Mariano! I'm getting chills. I am going to miss Mariano more than you can imagine when he retires. He's on the mound now, all by himself and both teams are tipping their caps and he's getting a standing O from the crowd. What a great moment. I love Mariano Rivera. The best ever and maybe the classiest athlete, in all sports, of all time. Nice job by Fox not to cut to a commercial. And Andy Cornell is sitting in the mountains looking at trees and toasting marshmellows. Dumbass.
8:56 Jean Segura of the Brewers at the plate against Mariano, now in his 13th All Star game.
8:57 Ground out to second. Allen Craig of the Cards to bat.
8:59 Tim McCarver just said what I was about to write. He said, "what a great moment for Salvador Perez to catch Mariano Rivera."
8:59 Craig lines out to Alex Gordon in left field.
9:02 Carlos Gomez grounds out to short. 3 up 3 down. Nice job Mo. Also, very nice touch by first baseman Prince Fielder. As he ran (ok, lumbered) off the field he put the ball into Mariano's glove.
Alright, my MVP...Mariano Rivera. Top 9, AL 3 NL 0.
9:04 Just realized, this is the longest post ever on this baseball blog.
9:05 Fielder up, Jason Grilli of the Buccos on the hill. Whoever thought that Grilli not only would be an All Star but would wind up on the cover of Sports Illustrated? Good for the former Rockie.
9:07 Unbelievable! Prince Fielder with a triple! Gomez dove for a ball in right field and the ball got by him and the big man turned it into a three bagger! Joe Buck just said that Fielder has 10 lifetime triples. Make it 11. I wonder if his head first slide registered on the Richter scale. (Mike Richter scale...NY Rangers drop in there)
9:10 Insurance time. Oh, if you need life insurance, get in touch with me. I offer great term insurance. None of that whole life crap. Buy term, invest the difference is our philosophy!
9:11 Nelson Cruz grounded out to second. Fielder still on third.
9:12 Joe Nathan warming up.
9:13 Encarnacion grounded out to short. Crap.
9:14 Nathan is a New York guy. He played college ball at Stony Brook on Long Island. The baseball field there is named after him. Not too many All Star ballplayers come out of Stony Brook.
9:15 Alex Gordon of the Royals at the dish. A two out hit here would be sweet. I love the saying, "two out hits that drive in runs...are like a gift from heaven."
9:16 Gordon flies out to deep center. Fielder's triple wasted. Going to the bottom of the 9th, 3-0 American League. Three more outs and the National League's 3-game winning streak will be OVAH!
Due up: Carpenter, McCutchen and Goldschmidt.
9:18 Damn, Jason Castro of the Astros hasn't gotten into the game.
9:19 Nathan gets Carpenter looking. One out.
9:21 McCutchen strikes out. Take a seat son.
9:22 Goldschmidt keeps the NL alive with a double off the right field wall. The happiest guy in the park? Pedro Alvarez of the Pirates who will now get his first at-bat of the game.
9:23 I want the shutout. Come on Famous Nathan!
9:24 Don't walk him and bring the tying run to the plate. 2-2 count on Alvarez.
9:25 Alvarez pops out to Kipnis and the American League wins 3-0. Ya ya and yay yay! American League gets home field advantage in the World Series...hopefully the Yanks!
9:26 Who wins the MVP? Nobody did anything really extraordinary. I would give it to Mariano...for his inspiration and for having the most memorable moment of the game, when he came into the game.
9:27 Final Line Score: AL 000 110 010 3 9 0
NL 000 000 000 0 3 0
WP: Sale
LP: Corbin
SV: Nathan
Att: 45, 1869:31 Mariano Rivera...ALL STAR GAME MVP!
9:32 Great night and perfect ending. Good night everyone!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Crazy story involving Giants 30-year old journeyman pitcher Chad Gaudin.
It seems he was arrested in late January in Las Vegas and charged with 'open and gross lewdness.' So much for what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
I've never heard of gross lewdness. Does that mean some lewdness isn't gross?
It seems that Gaudin was drunk (really?) and wandered into a hospital and started feeling up a 23-year old woman who was on a gurney. Since she was in the hospital and probably more interested in recovering from whatever malady she had, the lady likely didn't take kindly to the advances of the creepy pitcher.
Gaudin, married with a kid, couldn't remember where he lived, smelled like alcohol and had slurred speech.
His lawyer issued a statement that has to be one of the all-time great defense statements.
The lawyer, Dominic Gentile, denies any wrongdoing by the amorous reliever and wrote, "Chad Gaudin was examined in the emergency room of a local hospital while experiencing symptoms believed to be related to acute renal failure due to a condition known as rhabdomyolysis. The symptoms included confusion, dehydration and loss of orientation and/or consciousness. Although he has been accused of improperly touching another hospital patient while on the premises that night, there are differing and exonerating versions of what occurred that have been reported by eye witnesses."
Of course. The rhabdomyolysis defense! Now it all seems so very plausable. I wonder if Mrs. Gaudin is buying it.